Horse deaths force Del Mar to close turf course

Four horses -- three in two days -- have been euthanized after breaking down on new turf course

DEL MAR  Three horse deaths in two days on Del Mar’s new turf course — four overall since racing began — have led track officials to move two turf races today to the Polytrack and push up scheduled maintenance work to soften the course.

In addition to the three deaths on the turf course, another horse broke down on the Polytrack on Friday to put the total of racing-related deaths at five in eight days.

“After today, we feel that the best course of action is to cancel (today’s) turf races,” said Joe Harper, president and CEO of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. “That will give us more days in a row, with Monday and Tuesday coming up, to do the maintenance scheduled for Monday. In addition to the normal rail move out to 18 feet, we’re also going to aerate the entire track to slow it down a little bit and give it more bounce.”

Del Mar also issued a statement saying it was “deeply saddened by the loss of Thoroughbred lives.”

Harper said he doesn’t believe the delays in the construction project on the turf course over the winter and early spring due to Del Mar’s high water table played into the firm and fast condition of the turf course.

“We can all second guess ourselves, but we would not have put this turf course back into operation if we didn’t think it was safe,” Harper said. “It’s a new track, and with a new track there are problems you don’t always see out there. I have great confidence in Leif (Dickinson), probably the best grass guy in the country. He knows the track and will get to know it better. It was his decision to speed up the maintenance and the moving of the rail.”

Harper said he knows the public perception will be that the track was responsible for the turf deaths. However, other factors can also contribute to horse deaths. Issues such as the soundness of horses, a rush by owners to race here every summer, full cards and fierce competition at the beginning of the meet often cause a rash of breakdowns here.

“We’re all in this game because we love horses, and if there’s a decision to be made to be on the safe side, we’ll make it,” Harper said. “The jockeys have been very positive about the track. (Hall of Fame jockey) Mike Smith said he was very happy with the track, that it was fast, but it had bounce to it. When Mike Smith says it’s safe, I have to believe it is.”

Darrell Haire, western regional manager of the Jockeys’ Guild, said before the ninth race, a turf event, that he felt the track was not the total issue.

“It’s firm and it’s fast,” Haire said. “But I’ve talked to the riders, and they say it has bounce. The riders believe (Del Mar) is on top of it and that they’re looking out for the riders’ best interests.”

The wider turf course was put in this spring in order to qualify the track for the Breeders’ Cup, which will be held here in November 2017.

The jockeys involved in the spills on the turf course appear to be fine. Jockey Brice Blanc was on Yes She’s Unusual when she broke down Friday. Other than bumps and bruises on his elbow, shoulder and head, he’s expected to resume riding next week, according to his agent, Susan McBrayer.

On Saturday, Lil Swiss Echo, trained by Vladimir Cerin, broke down in the fifth race, 1 1/16 miles on the turf, at the quarter pole and had to be put down on the track. Tarps were put up to block the crowd’s view of the euthanization. Jockey Van Dyke was thrown to the turf. He was taken to the hospital, but his agent told Del Mar that the apprentice was released and is expected to ride today.

In the very next turf race, the ninth at 1 1/16 miles, J Kat, trained by George Papaprodromou, was pulled up by jockey Corey Nakatani and euthanized after being evaluated on the backstretch.